Centrifugal separator.



' PATENTED MAR. 10

R. A. LUCAS 0. JEPPSON.

GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

APP L IOATION FILED JULY 1, 1902p 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

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' PATENTED MAR..10, 1903. R. A. LUCAS & O JEPPSON. CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1902;

N0 MODEL. '3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 722,522. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

R. A. LUCAS & 0. JEPPSON. GENTRIPUGAL SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1902.

3 SEEETS-SHEET 3.

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m n B I N m M. Maw A UNITED STATES RAYMOND A. LUCAS AND OLOF JEPPSON, OF HILO, TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,522, dated March 10, 1903. Application filed July 1, 1902. Serial No. 113,915. (No model-l To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, RAYMOND A. Mums and OLOF JEPPSON, citizens of the United States, and residents of Hilo, Territory of Hawaii, have invented a new and Improved Gentrifugal Separator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates particularly to machines for separating by centrifugal action the impurities from sugar-cane juice, the object being to provide a machine by means of which the impurities may be removed much more rapidly and in a cheaper manner than is possible with settling-tanks usually employed.

We will describe a centrifugal separator embodying our invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a cen trifugal separator embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a central horizontal section. Fig. 4 is a section on the line as w of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing one of the valves employed.

The separator comprises a vertical shaft 1, having a bearing 2 at its upper end arranged in a casing 3, and its lower end has a stepbearing 4. This step-bearing 4 is arranged in a boxing 5, and screws 6, passing through the wall of said boxing and engaging with the step-bearing, provide a means for centralling or finely adjusting the bearing. Arranged on the shaft so as to rotate therewith is a separating-drum, consisting of the lower portion 7 and the upper portion 8. The lower portion 7 has a closure 9 at the bottom, through which the shaft passes, and the wall of this lower portion is inclined upward and outward, while the wall of the upper portion 8 is inclined downward and outward. Arranged between flanges 10 at the junction of the two parts 7 and 8 is a ring 11, provided at intervals with outlet-openings 12, which are controlled by plug-valves 13, to be hereinafter more fully described.

Supported in the drum is a barrel 14, which is longitudinally tapered, the smaller diameter being upward, and this barrel starts from a point slightly above the bottom closure 9 and terminates somewhat above the open upper end of the upper portion 8 of the drum. Arranged between the drum and the outer side of the barrel 14 are partitions 15, which separate the device into several compartments, and also arranged within the barrel are partitions 16, which are practically a continuance of the vertical partitions 15. These partitions 16, however, are quite narrow, so as to permit the operation of devices carried by the shaft. Each partition 15 is provided at its lower portion with a discharge-opening 17, and at the junction of the two parts 7 and 8 outlets 18 are provided, these outlets 18 being formed partly by notches in the edges of the partitions and by an annular groove in the ring 11. The upper portion 8 of the drum is provided at suitable intervals with outlets 19, controlled by ordinary plug-valves 20.

The valves 13 have stem portions 21, which extend loosely through openings in the barrel 14 and also loosely through openings in arms 22, carried by the shaft 1. The inner ends of these stems 21 are provided with T- shaped blocks 23, which are movable in correspondingly-shaped slots formed in a conical adjusting-block 24, mounted on the shaft 1 and designed to have a vertical movement on the shaft. From the upper end of the conical block 24 rods 25 extend upward and connect at the upper end with a cross-head 26, attached to a sleeve 27, the said sleeve 27 having an enlarged portion provided with an annular channel to receive bearing pins extended inward from a collar 28, carried by levers 29. These levers 29 at one end are pivotally connected to hangers 30, depending from the frame 3, and at the opposite ends they are engaged by an adjusting-screw 31, which is mounted to rotate in said frame 3.

A collar 32 extends around the shaft 1 near the top of the barrel, and this collar 32 is adand they are supported by the casing 3.

drum and barrel relatively to the shaft and to cause a perfect balance thereof.

Supported on the screw-rods 34 and extended upward nearly to the top of the barrel 14 is a conical deflector 35.

Surrounding the drum and designed to receive material discharged through the openings 12 is a trough 37, while a similar trough 38 is arranged to receive material discharged through the valve-controlled openings 19, and a trough 39 surrounds the upper portion of the drum and is designed to receive material passing over the top of the drum. These several troughs are of course of annular form,

Obviously by manipulating the screw 31 the valves through the medium of the conical block 24 may be moved inward or outward to regulate the discharge through the openings 12.

It will be noted, particularly in Fig. 3, that the'valves 13 are placedin front of the partitions 15. What we mean by the front is the direction in which the drum rotates. This arrangement is because of the fact that the heavier particles have a tendency to accu mulate around the openings 12. The openings 18 are designed to permit the flow of mud or similar heavy material from one compartment of the separator to another, and the openings 17 are designed to permit mud or similar heavy material to pass from one compartment to another at a lower portion of the separator. The valves 20 should be placed slightly back of the partitions.

In the operation the juice is discharged into the apparatus by any suitable means such, for instance, as through a spout 40. The juice falling on the deflector 35 will be directed outward, so that it will flow down the inner side or against the inner side of the wall of the barrel 14:. This juice will pass underneath the bottom of the barrel into the several compartments, where through the action of centrifugal force the heavier particles or impurities will settle at the outside and discharge through the openings 12 into the trough 37. It will be understood that during the operation of the machine the separator will be nearly full. The lighter particles, such as fibrous matter from the cane, will pass upward over the top of the separatordrum and into the trough 39, while the purified juice will pass out through the openings 19 and into the trough 38. A main object of the partitions is to keep the liquid in rotary motion with the drum with the least possible disturbance.

Advantages of this apparatus for the purpose described reside in the saving of time, and during its operation it will retain the proper temperature of the material treated without reheating, as is the ordinary practice, thus causing a saving in fuel. It will also prevent fermentation, which often takes place during the process of settling in tanks.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A centrifugal separator comprising a drum having upper and lower portions, the lower portion being inclined upward and outward, while the upper portion is inclined downward and outward, there being outlets at the junction of the two portions, valves for controlling said outlets, means for regulating the valves, the said drum having valvecontrolled outlets above the first-named outlets, a barrel arranged vertically in the drum, partitions arranged between said barrel and the drum, and a shaft on which the parts are mounted, substantially as specified.

2, A centrifugal separator comprising a drum having lower and upper portions, the lower portion being inclined upward and outward, the upper portion being inclined downward and outward, the said drum having outlets arranged at the junction of the lower and upper portions, a shaft carrying the drum, valves for controlling said outlets, stems extended inward from said valves, a tapered block mounted on the shaft so as to move vertically thereon, and sliding connections between said stems and said block, substantially as specified.

3. A centrifugal separator comprising a drum having outlets for heavy material, a vertical shaft on which the casing is mounted, valves for controlling said outlets, stems extended inward from the valves, T-shaped blocks on the inner ends of said stems, a tapered block adjustable vertically on the shaft and having slots corresponding to the shape of said blocks on the ends of the stems, a cylindrical barrel extended vertically in the drum and spaced from the bottom thereof, vertical partitions connecting with the drum and with said barrel, the said opening having valvecontrolled openings above the first-named openings, and a deflector arranged in the upper portion of the barrel, substantially as specified.

4. In a centrifugal separator, a drum comprising an upper portion and a lower portion, the walls of said portions being oppositely inclined, there being outlets formed at the junction of the two portions, a bottom closure for the lower portion, a shaft to which said closure is connected, valves for controlling said out-lets, means mounted on the shaft for regulating said valves, a barrel extended vertically in the drum and spaced from the bot tom closure thereof, partitions connecting the barrel with the drum, and means for adjusting the barrel and drum with relation to the shaft, substantially as specified.

5. In a centrifugal separator, a drum comprising an upper and alower portion, the said drum having outlets, a shaft on which the drum is mounted, valves for controlling said outlets, a tapered block movable vertically on the shaft, sliding connections between said valves and'said block, a collar mounted on the upper portion of the shaft,

connections between said collar and the block, and means for vertically adjusting said collar, substantially as specified.

6. A- centrifugal separator comprising a drum having upper and lower portions, the said portions being oppositely inclined, a ring connected between the said upper and lower portions at their junction, the said ring being provided with openings, a barrel extended vertically in the drum, partitions arranged between said barrel and the inner surface of the drum, the said partitions being provided with openings near the openings through the ring but rearward thereof, the upper portion of the drum being provided with valve-controlled openings, a shaft carrying the drum, valves movable in the first-named openings, and means mounted on the shaft for controlling said valves, substantially as specified.

7. A centrifugal separator comprising a drum having upper and lower oppositely-inclined portions, the lower portion being closed at the bottom, the upper portion being open at the top, a barrel arranged vertically in the drum and extended from near the bottom thereof through the top, partitions arranged between the barrel and the drum, the said drum being provided with outlets at the j unction of the upper and lower portions, valves for controlling said outlets, means for operating the valves simultaneously, a fixed trough for receiving material discharged through said openings, the said partitions being provided with openings rearward of said discharge-openings, the upper portion of the drum being provided with outlets, valves for controlling said outlets, a fixed trough for receiving material discharged through said outlets, and a fixed trough for receiving material discharged through the open upper end of the drum, substantially as specified.

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a drum having outlets, controlling-valves for the outlets and means for simultaneously regulating all the valves, substantially as specified.

9. A centrifugal separator comprising a drum having upper and lower inclined portions, the said drum having outlets at the junction of said portions, valves for said outlets, and means for simultaneously regulating all of said valves, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RAYMOND A. LUCAS. OLOF JEPPSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM S. WISE, HOMER L. Ross. 

